amelia's POV

almost 5 hours had passed and madison still hasn't come back. i start to worry. what if she never comes home? was she always planning to leave again? was she high on the streets and couldn't find her way home? eventually, i hear the door open.

"hey, i'm back!" madison shouts as i rush to the door. "i am so so so sorry that i was out for so long. i really hope you weren't worrying about me. i was always going to come back i promise" she rambles on until i stop her.

"hey, hey madison, it's fine, i was okay." she hugs me and i can tell she is high. i don't know how i can tell, it's more of just an instinct, but i know i am not wrong. "come sit down and we can watch some TV"

"amelia..." she hesitates.

"you know you can tell me anything right?" i say

"yeah yeah, it's just... i know you know. you're not very good at hiding things" well, at least she's honest. i don't exactly know what to say, i mean i know she is on about the drugs.

"okay, umm so do you want to talk about it?" i ask as kindly as possible.

"umm i guess we can"

"okay, so do you want to tell me when everything started?"

"well, i was 13 when i first got high and i have tried many different drugs. i prefer ecstasy though, that's what i take most often. it's what i am on now. josh gave me some at a party the first time. he is basically my dealer but he gets everything from his dad. i had been pretty good at keeping it a secret until a couple days ago, my parents found out and didn't want a kid like me so they kicked me out." i can tell that she is about to burst into tears so i open my arms and she leans in for a hug. "it's so hard to stop amelia. i've tried, so hard, but i can't. i was thinking of you when josh gave me the drugs today, i really was. i just couldn't ignore the temptation. i'm so sorry, i honestly am." tears begin streaming down her face.

"madison, look at me" i say. "i know it is hard to stop, i know it feels impossible, but that is why i am here. i want to help you, so i will do everything in my power to help you. i promise i am here for you no matter what, okay?" i put my hand under her chin and force her to look at me. her expression had changed and she now looked angry. what had i done?

"no amelia, no you don't. you have absolutely no idea what it is like. you can say you understand, you can say you want to help, but you don't, and you never will. doing drugs is the only way i can make myself happy and i can't stop, it is impossible. so don't tell me you know how hard it is, okay?" she shouts at me. this makes me angry too, but i have to sympathise because i acted the same way as a teenager.

"madison! please stop! just stop." i shout. she stops speaking and looks at me. "just, let me say this." i hesitate, i never really talk about my addiction to anyone when i only just meet them. "i..i am a recovering addict. i was addicted to oxy and my addiction started around the same age as yours. i acted the exactly the same way as you are now and i know exactly what it is like. i am one of a few people who do understand how hard it is to stop, and how it feels when you are high. it makes you feel happier than you ever imagined you could be. i know you didn't know, but please don't tell me things like that again, because now you know that i understand. and i hate talking about it. but as you can see, i am living proof that it is possible to recover, even though it feels impossible now, i know you can do it, and i believe in you, okay?" tears were now streaming down both of our faces.

"amelia, i am so so sorry. i didn't mean to, please don't be mad at me. i will try not to push you away, i want to stop. i promise i know i need to stop, but i really need some help." she cries, i pull her into my arms and hug her tight. she needs to know that someone cares for her right now. i am so glad she wants to get sober, and i know she can do it. she just needs a little bit of motivation.

"of course i will help you, you know i always will. i believe in you and i will be here every step in the way if you want me to be." madison hugs me tighter.

"thank you so much amelia, you are my favourite person in the world right now."

"if it came down to it, would you be willing to go to rehab? would you go for me?

madison's POV

i think about amelia's question for a bit.

"i really wouldn't want to go, but maybe i would go for you, if you desperately wanted me to go and thought i needed it, i would go. did you ever go to rehab?" i ask

"yes, i did. i never wanted to go, but the people i loved told me i had to and so i went for them. i promise it helps. i will never force you to go, ever, but i will do everything in my power to convince you it is a good idea. i want you to get sober, and i want you to stay here, with me." i never thought amelia would ever want me here, but obviously she does. i smile at her.

"you do?"

"yes madison, of course i do. looking after you makes me happy, i can't explain it, but i love helping people. that's why i became a surgeon." i lean onto her shoulder and she wraps her arm around me. i wonder what kind of surgeon she is. i place my head on her chest and listen to her heatbeat. i think about what amelia has just said. she actually wants me here, and i want to stay.